While many have been eager to see 2016 consigned to history, I confess I have been more excited to welcome 2017. This new year brings with it the anniversary of one of the most important events in church history. On the last day of October 1517, a monk in Germany posted ninety-five affirmations for debate. What he sparked was more than just a debate; he sparked a revolution known to us as the Protestant Reformation.

On Lord’s Table Sundays this year we’re going to trace the arc of history from the Reformation to the formation of our church, the First Baptist Church in the City of New York. We’ll do this by telling the stories of some of the key people along the way, broken people, to be sure, but people who believed. And in their stories of faith, we find instruction, warning, and inspiration to keep on believing.